Patio Furniture

DIYing On A Budget

You’ve probably been dreaming all winter about enjoying your outdoor patio space in the sunshine. Spring is finally here, so it’s time to start creating the perfect patio experience. All the gorgeous furniture at home and garden stores looks great, but can be expensive. If you’re on a budget, you can achieve a serene setting with a little elbow grease — and some pallets.

HELLO, THEY ARE FREE!

The best feature of pallets is that they are free! And, they are usually easy to find lying around town. A quick chat with the store manager, and voila, they are yours. Depending on the size of your space, you can plan a simple love seat, or expand your blueprint into an oversized L shape.

CLEAN'EM UP

The first step is to take a power washer to those babies to remove any dirt and grime. Pallets don’t tend to be the cleanest of surfaces, so you’ll want to clean them up before you invite over your friend who always wears white jeans. Next, stack the pallets, two per row. Attach a single pallet to the back and permanently affix it to the stacked pallets with nails or screws. Keep on creating these stacks until you reach your desired size.

SEAL THE DEAL

You can add a coat of clear paint to protect the wood from fading, but in our opinion, the pallets look better as they fade and discolor. Since they were free to begin with, you can replace them next year if they fade too much for your liking.

DON'T FORGET THE ACCENTS

Since pallets are wider than any standard cushion you will find, you can make your own. Order some foam cushions from Amazon and go shopping for some fabric that matches your style, then pin the fabric to the underside of the foam. You’re going to want some throw pillows to complete the look. Check out Target for a nice selection — they often have sales and you can mix and match to make your patio pop.

EASY PEASY

Finish up your patio project with some tree stumps (also free!) and get ready to relax with some cold beverages!